Cotton-gin



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. J. MODERMOTT, G. MASTER MAN & J..D. MILBURN. COTTON GIN.

Nb.'269,305. Patented De0.19, 1882'.

wpwzww w m (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. J. MODERMOTT, G. MASTERMAN 8: J. D. MILBURN.

COTTON GIN.

No. 269,305. 4 Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

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(N0.M0de1.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3,.

W.'J. lVIoDERlVIOTT, G. MASTERMAN & J. D. MILBURN COTTON GIN. No. 269,305. Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

(No Model.) 5Shegts-Sheet 4. W. .J. MGDERMOTT, G. MAS'TERMAN 85 J. D. MILBURN.

COTTON GIN. No. 269,305. Patented De0.19, 1882.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

W. J. McDF-RMOTT, G. MASTE'RMAN- & J. D. MILBURN.

' COTTON GIN.

No. 269,305. Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. MODERMOTT, GEORGE MASTERMAN, AND JOHN D. MILBURN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

COTTON-GIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,305, dated December 19, 1882.

Application filed June 8, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. MODER- MOTT, GEORGE MAsTERMAN, and JOHN D. MILBURN, all citizens of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Grins, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of cotton-gins such as are shown and described in Patents No. 20,120, granted to \Vilson and Payne, April 25, 1858, and No. 240,748, granted to Milburn and Gwathney, April 26, 1881.

Our object is to more thoroughly and quickly effect a separation of the dust, trash, hulls, burrs, and leaf in the outer breast or feed box from the cotton-seed, thereby increasing the capacity of the gin in rough or trashy cotton,

and in clean cotton preventing waste by dropping.

The further object of the invention is the separation of the giuned seed from the hulls and burrs, and rendering the seed from rough cotton merchantable and in good condition for planting.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a side view, of a cotton-gin substantially such as described in the patent before mentioned, having our improved screening mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the screen and spiral conveyer and mechanism for actuating the conveyer. Fig. 4 repre- 3 5 sents the screen and spiral conveyer in sectional elevation. Figs. 5 and 6 are end views of the screen, showing the slots provided to allow the oscillation of the screen about the conveyer. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified construction of screen. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a second modified construction of screen. Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the method of 0scillating the screen shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 illustrates the method of actuating the screen 5 shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 shows a hand-lever and eccentric for raising the front breast of the gin when required. Fig. 12 illustrates the delivery-rollers and the mode of adjusting the same with a slightly different constructed hopper. 0

Ais the frame of a cotton-gin; B, the hopper, and O the breast of the hopper. D is'the driving-pulley, and d the shaft of the saw-cylinder D, and d d its bearings. E is a semicylindrical perforated metal screen, suspended by journals 6 c in bearings F F. G is a linkconnection comprising an arm,g, rigidly attached to the end of the journal 6' of screen E, and an arm, g, pivoted to the arm g at one end, and its other end attached to the pulley 6o H, which is driven' by a belt, e, passing from driving-shaft d of the saw-cylinder. By this means an oscillating motion is communicated to screen E through the link-connection G, as will be readily seen from Fig. 2.

I is a spiral conveyor, lying in screen E and having journ alsz't", that pass through segmenta1 slots 6 e in screen E and rest in bearings F F, Fig. 1.

K is a driving-wheel on journal i, worked by belt is from pulley L, mounted on shaft d carrying the pulley H, which actuates the link connection G. The pulley H, being driven by belt 6 from the saw-cylinder, rotates the conveyer I through shaft d pulleys K L, and belt k.

The operation of this part of our invention is such that the cotton-seed, hulls, and trash, as they fall from the gin, drop into screen E, which is made of perforated sheet metal, the perforations being of sufficient size to allow the seed to pass, but to retain the hulls. This operation is assisted by the oscillating motion of the screen about the spiral conveyor. I, which latter carries away the hulls retained by the screen and discharges them at one end of the screen, which is left partially open for such purpose. The vibratory motion of the screen is entirely independent of the rotation of the conveyer. V 0

In place of operating the screen in the manner above described, we may use the mechanism shown in Fig. 7, in which E is a screen of perforated metal, as in the first instance, pivoted at m m to 'the frame A of the gin and 5 actuated by a cam, N, which serves as a knocker, mounted on the shaft n, which is driven from pulleys O by a belt passing over a pulley on the shaft 01 of the saw-cylinder, or by other suitable means. This mode of operation is further illustrated in Fig. 9, where the knocker N is shown as having lifted the screen E previous to letting it drop. Another way of actuating screen E is shown in Figs.8 and 10, where it is suspended at each end from rods P P, respectivel y attached at their lower ends to the driving-wheels Q Q, turning on thejournal R, which passes through the frame of the gin. Rod P is pivoted loosely to frame A at S, so that on the revolution of the wheels Q Q it imparts a reciprocating motion to the screen. It is obvious that We may employ either of these modes of operating the screen where the spiral conveyer is not required. It is also obvious that the phases of motion given by these different mechanisms may vary, the first one being an oscillating motion, in which the screen partially revolves about its bearings as a center, all parts of the screen, providing it be a half-cylinder, partaking of the same rate of motion, which is such that the whole surface of the screen is presented to the conveyer. The second phase described is an up and down one, the outer section of the screen traveling through a very much larger are compared with the distance through which the hinged or inner section moves. The third phase is a reciprocating motion given to the screen by the revolution of the driving-wheels, in which the screen moves as a whole and remains practically in a horizontal position, no one part of the screen moving with respect to the second part, as in the second phase above described.

In Fig. 11, O is the front breast of the hopper, and c a cam on a shaft, 0, controlled by a lever, c, by which the breast of the gin is lifted at each end from the saws, and any lateral motion of the breast or interferenceof the ribs with the saw prevented. These cams may be two or more in number, and by means of their powerful leverage greatly facilitate the opening of the breast of the hopper and allow the workman to keep at a safe distance from the saws.

In PatentNo.2-i0,748,abovementioned,there is shown an accessory roller, placed alongside the feed-roller, for assisting in the delivery of the trash, seed, and hulls from the hopper. In our present invention the number of deliveryrollers is increased, if desired, and their distance from each other made adjustable by mechanism shown in Fig. 12, in which U is the feed-cylinder, and V W the delivery-rollers, mounted on shafts u v 'w. The journals of these shafts rest in boxes at o w, sliding on the cross-bars X, and retained at any distance apart from each other by screws x, working in the boxes. The ends of the cross-bars X are supported in lugs Y and held'therein by nuts 3 These rollers may be corrugated or not, toothed, V-shaped, or smooth, as desired, and may be driven from the main shaft or in any other suitable way. The adjustment of the rollers allows them to be set to suit the quality of cotton, whether it be for clean seed-cotton or trashy cotton. We find, however, that rollers having corrugated surfaces, together with the adjustment above described, greatly multiply the chances of discharging the sand, dust, leaves, and other foreign matters in the cotton that is being ginned.

The organization and general operation will be clear from the foregoing, and need not be further described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. The combination, in a cotton-gin, of the feed-cylinder with a series of delivery-cylinders journaled in independently-adjustable bearings, whereby said delivery-cylinders can be adjusted at variable distances apart, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the cylinders U V Vi, cross-bars, the slidingjournal-boxes supported on said bars, and means for securing the boxes in place on the cross-bars, substantially as described.

3. The combination,in acotton-gin,ofa semicylindrical rocking screen for receiving the discharge refuse from the same, and mechanism which gives a rocking or rotary oscillating motion to the screen, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a cottongin, of a screen, mechanism for operating the screen, a spiral conveyer, and mechanism for operating the spiral conveyer, substantially as described.

5. The combination,in acotton-gin, ofa semicylindrical screen open at one end and pivoted thereto, and having a rocking or rotary oscillating movement, and a shaft carryinga knocker for oscillating the screen and mechanism for driving the shaft, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the hopper with. the adjustable breast G and mechanism for adjusting said breast, consisting of a cam fixed on a rock-shaft, which is provided with a suitable handle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. J. MGDERMOTT. GEORGE MASTERMAN. JOHN D. MILBURN. Witnesses:

J. M. COLEMAN, THos. T. TAYLOR. 

